Book Review of �The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy� by Salvatore Battaglia
Published by The Perfect Potion (Aust) Pty Ltd, Second Print 1997, ISBN 0 646 20670 2
Reviewed by Stacy Miller
This is one of the few books with �complete� in the title that comes close to living up to the claim. With 476 pages and 27 of them devoted to references alone, I�d say it�s not your ordinary aromatherapy book.
It was originally written as a training manual for an aromatherapy course the author teaches, and referenced extensively by others I�m familiar with. I won�t claim it�s perfect (what book is), but I consider it a must-have for anyone with more than a passing interest in aromatherapy.
The book is divided into 5 nicely organized units that cover just about all the basics (and then some). The first unit, �Background�, includes the chapters:
Introduction to Aromatherapy
History of Aromatherapy
What are Essential Oils?
Methods of Essential Oil Extraction
Quality Control and Assurance
The explanations in the extraction chapter go above and beyond the cursory details usually offered in other books that touch on the subject. (The illustrations are excellent as well.)
The section on quality control would be a help for anyone new to sourcing essential oils for therapeutic use and unsure of what to look for. He includes clear cut information on the often-confusing variances between different Marjorams, Thymes, Basils, Lavenders, and Rosemarys, along with why exactly we should know the botanical name, part of the plant used, country of origin, and the extraction method for the oils we buy.
Unit II, �Essential Issues�, covers how essential oils work and includes the chapters:
Research
EO Chemistry
Pharmacology of EO�s
Biology and Psychology of EO�s
Pharmacokinetics
EO Safety